ESPN PGA Championship 2008

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- The frightful forecasts for a wicked weekend at Oakland Hills are proving to be spot on, and we're not talking about the weather.

Nowhere was that more evident than on the two finishing holes at one of the most treacherous golf courses in the country. The 17th and 18th holes yielded a measly three birdies between them Friday in the second round of the PGA Championship, news that was anything but to Sergio Garcia.

"Unfortunately, none of them were mine," said the Spaniard, who four-putted the 17th green for a double-bogey 5 but nonetheless finished just 3 shots behind 36-hole leader J.B. Holmes.

For the first time since 1972, the PGA Championship has just a single player under par through 36 holes. And it is likely no coincidence that Oakland Hills also was the venue that year, when Gary Player took home the Wanamaker Trophy.

Holmes put the finishing touches on his 2-under-par 68 in the early afternoon. Charlie Wi (70), playing in his first major championship, is among the group of three players a shot behind Holmes. The other two within a stroke of the lead are Justin Rose and Ben Curtis, who matched the low rounds of the tournament with 67s. They both also played in the morning.

By the time the afternoon wave was making the turn, it became apparent that those players would be hanging on for dear life coming in.

Both Garcia and Phil Mickelson at one point in their rounds were tied with Holmes for the lead at 1 under par. But Garcia played the last nine holes in 3 over and Mickelson was 2 over. Both shot 73 for the day.

"It's a hard course," said Garcia, who is at 142, 3 shots back. "It's very difficult, and this is a major. It's not supposed to be easy. We're pushed to the limit, and things can happen at any time. I just hope that I got rid of my bad moments today and hopefully I can have a good weekend and have a chance on Sunday."

Garcia's worst moment came at the par-3 17th. At the time, he was at even par for the tournament. His tee shot came to rest 50 feet from the hole, and he left his first attempt 6 feet short. "I hit a good putt. I just misread it a little bit, missed it just low, to about 2 feet," Garcia said. "And I hit another good putt, unfortunately it missed right again. That was pretty much about it.

"It's just two tough finishing holes. And 16 is not a given, either. … You just got to realize that and play it as well as you can and hopefully get out of there. If you get out of there with two pars, maybe a par and a bogey at worst, you're not losing a lot of ground."

Mickelson, who bogeyed the 17th from the back of the green after a poor chip shot, is 4 shots back.

"I've got to play this thing two more times, and I don't really want to go into whether or not it's fair or what have you. Everybody's got to play it. Everybody's got to play this course. I think that it gets more difficult in the afternoon, so the leaders are going to have a harder time tomorrow.

"And the greens get firmer or crustier and bumpier and the ball doesn't check and you can't hit it firm enough. All of the guys who are in the lead and the top half of the field will have a tougher course tomorrow afternoon."

Anthony Kim was the only player to birdie the 17th, a 240-yard par-3. Jim Furyk, who made the 36-hole cut of 148 on the number, was among only two players to birdie No. 18, a 498-yard par-4.

"That's tough," said Aaron Baddeley, who is tied with Garcia at 3 over. "I mean, you'd expect a few more birdies, especially on a par-3. That pin was inaccessible. It's tough."

"The only noise I heard was somebody getting hit by a golf ball and they grunt," said Steve Flesch, who shot 70. "No birdie cheers. It's hard. There are no birdie opportunities out there, other than the par-5s. It's going to be a tough weekend, I know that."

Bob Harig covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at BobHarig@gmail.com.